Device for applying heat-insulating substances onto pipes

ABSTRACT

A device disclosed for applying heat-insulating substances onto pipes, wherein a pipe being insulation-coated is progressively displaced inside a hollow auger enclosed in a cylindrical casing and designed to feed and consolidate the substance being applied onto the pipe. The device makes it possible to apply onto pipes coatings of insulating substances having a volume weight of 400 kg./sq.cm. and less, which is attained owing to the fact that on the side of the outlet end of the casting there is mounted a ring element progressively displaceable together with the pipe and serving to limit the extrusion of insulating substance from the casing, while at the outlet end of the casing there is mounted a device for winding a band of elastic material onto the surface of the insulation-coated pipe.

ilnited States Patent Gusev et al.

[451 Jan. 25, 1972 [54] DEVICE FOR APPLYING HEAT- INSULATING SUBSTANCESONTO PIPES [72] Inventors: Vladimir Alexeevich Gusev, ulitsa MalayaPodvalnaya, l4, kv. 9; Nikolai Nikolaevich Rudenko, ulitsa Kikvidze,13-a, kv. 10, both of Kiev, USSR.

[22] Filed: Aug. 14, 1969 [21] Appl.No.: 850,028

[52] US. Cl ..156/500, 156/244, 249/204, 156/547 [51] Int. Cl. ..B22d7/10, B29b 5/04 [58] Field of Search ..l56/187, 195, 244, 390, 392,156/429, 450, 547, 500; 25/38; 249/204 Smith ..25/38 Hamson ..25/38 57ABSTRACT A device disclosed for applying heat-insulating substances ontopipes, wherein a pipe being insulation-coated is progressively displacedinside a hollow auger enclosed in a cylindrical casing and designed tofeed and consolidate the substance being applied onto the pipe. Thedevice makes it possible to apply onto pipes coatings of insulatingsubstances having a volume weight of 400 kg./sq.cm. and less, which isattained owing to the fact that on the side of the outlet end of thecasting there is mounted a ring element progressively displaceabletogether with the pipe and serving to limit the extrusion of insulatingsubstance from the casing, while at the outlet end of the casing thereis mounted a device for winding a band of elastic material onto thesurface of the insulation-coated pipe.

41 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED JANZS r572 SHEET 1 (IF 2 DEVICEFOR APPLYING HEAT-INSULATING SUBSTANCES ONTO PIPES The present inventionrelates to devices for applying onto pipe, mainly metal pipes,heat-insulating substances of lightweight concrete variety (perliteconcrete, ceramsite concrete etc.).

Known in the prior art are devices for applying onto pipes coatings ofheat-insulating substances of lightweight concrete variety, whichcomprise a hollow auger enclosed in a casing having a cone at the outletend (cf. U.S.S.R. Pat. No. 18,238, class 80a, 6, 1928, and US. Pat. No.2,945,278, class 25-38, 1960).

The cone in such devices greatly consolidates the substance applied ontothe pipe (up to volume weight of over 400 kg./sq.cm.), owing to whichsaid substance can serve a protective, e.g., corrosion-preventing,coating, but can not perform the function of a heat-insulating coating.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate theabove-mentioned disadvantage of said known devices.

The invention contemplates the provision of a device to make it possibleto apply onto pipes coatings of insulating substances featuring volumeweight of 400 kg./sq.cm. and less.

In order to solve the above problem, in a device for applyingheat-insulating substances onto pipes, in which a pipe beinginsulation-coated displaced inside a hollow auger, according to theinvention, on the side of the outlet end of said casing there is mounteda ring element progressively displaceable together with said pipe andserving to limit the extrusion of insulating substance from the casing,while at the outlet end of the casing there is mounted means for windinga tape of elastic material onto the surface of the pipe freshly coatedwith insulating substance.

Said arrangement for winding a tape of elastic material onto the surfaceof a pipe freshly coated with insulating substance can be provided witha driven gear installed at the outlet end of the casing and connectedwith at least one spring-biased spool carrying the winding tape.

In order to adjust the gap between the outer surface of the pipe beinginsulated and the inner surface of the casing, the latter gap serving toregulate the thickness of the applied coating, provision can be made fora cylindrical sleeve secured to the internal walls of the casing.

For a better understanding of the essence of the present invention,reference will next be made to an embodiment thereof with regard to theappended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view diagrammatically illustrating an installation forapplying heat-insulating substances onto metal pipes, incorporating thedevice according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device according to the present invention,partially in longitudinal section;

FIG. 3 is an end view thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of a carriage for displacing a pipe in the processof applying a coating.

The installation for applying heat-insulating substances onto pipescomprises: a device 1 (FIG. 1) for applying the substance into a pipe,carriages 3 and 3' displaceable along guideways 2 and having means 4 forsecuring a pipe 5 in the working position and advancing the pipe'throughthe means 1, and an arrangement means for winding insulating tape ontothe surface of pipe freshly coated with the insulating substance.

The device 1 for applying heat-insulating substances onto a pipecomprises: a hollow auger 6 (FIG. 2) enclosed in a cylindrical casing 7,a ring element 8 disposed at the outlet end of the auger 6, acylindrical sleeve 9 secured to the inner wall of the casing 7, aloading hopper 10 with driven feed rollers 11 (FIG. 3) and brushes 12(FIG. 2) installed at the place of entry of the pipe 5 into the auger 6.

With the aid of the cylindrical sleeve 9, which is replaceable, there iseffected an adjustment of the gap between the outer surface of the pipeand the inner surface of the casing, which gap servers to regulate thethickness of the coating applied. When so doing, the auger 6 can belikewise replaced to correspond to the internal diameter of the sleeve9.

The means for winding a tape of elastic material onto the surface ofpipe freshly coated with insulating substance comprises: a gear 13 witha drive 14, and a spring-biased spool 15 carrying the winding tape androtatable together with the gear 13 about the pipe 5. Polyvinyl chloridefilm, thick paper, rubber-treated cloth etc., can be used as the elasticmaterial of the tape.

The means 4 for keeping the pipe 5 mounted in the working position onthe carriage 3 comprises a reversing-drive mechanism 16 (FIG. 4), astrut 18 telescoped with the aid of a worm gear 17 and a cantileversupport 19 strut 8 which carries a clamp 20 for the pipe.

With a view to saving perlite concrete and improving the heat-insulatingproperties of the coating obtained, provision is made for void-formingmeans 22 circumferentially arranged on brackets 21 attached to heinternal surface of the cylindrical sleeve 9 at the perimeter at theoutlet end of said sleeve.

The installation described hereinabove operates in the following manner.

The carriages 3 and 3' are set in the initial operating position shownin solid lines in FIG. 1 wherein carriage 3' is arranged immediatelyadjacent the device 1 (FIG. 1) so that its cantilever support 19 (FIG.4) is passed inside the hollow auger 6, and the carriage, 3, turned withrespect to carriage 3' is displaced away from the device 1 by a distanceapproximately equal to the length of pipe.

The pipe 5 to be coated is laid by a crane onto the means 4 for keepingthe pipe in the working position. For this purpose, the cantileversupports 19 are introduced into the pipe at its ends, and the pipe isclamped by means of clamps 20 (FIG. 4), thereby preventing the pipe fromturning during the rotation of the auger.

Then, the pipe 5 is displaced in the direction indicated by arrow A(FIG. 1) until its front end comes out of the inner space of the auger 6to a length sufficient for securing the ring element 8 thereonto.

The ring element 8 can likewise be installed on the cantilever support19 of the carriage 3 said ring element serving as an end barrier for theinsulating substance at the end of the pipe thereby acting to limitextrusion of the insulating substance from the casing 6.

The brushes 12 (FIG. 2) are actuated to clean the metal pipe ofcorrosion and impurities.

At the same time the, insulating substance, in particular per liteconcrete, is charged into the hopper 10.

With the aid of counterrotating feed rollers 11, the perlite concrete isfed to the blades of the auger 6, whose rotation imparted by a drive 23causes the extrusion of the insulating substance frorn the casing 7followed bythe application of said substance onto the pipe surface.

When so doing, the ring element 8 progressively displacing together withthe pipe limits the extrusion of perlite concrete substance from thecasing and, the pipe is uniformly coated with the substance.

Simultaneously with the coating of the pipe 5 with perlite concrete,polyvinyl chloride tape prefixed to the gear 13 is unwound from thespool 15.

This tape, in the course of the progressive displacement of the pipe, iswound spirally overlapping onto the surface of pipe freshly coated withperlite concrete, thus forming a continuous sheath which istight-fitting on the surface of the coating obtained and protects saidcoating from deterioration and scaling off the pipe.

This process continues until the pipe is fully coated with a layer ofperlite concrete onto which polyvinyl chloride tape has been wound.

The processed pipe is gripped by a lifting mechanism (not shown in thedrawing) and released from the clamps 20 and the ring element 8. Then,the carriages 3 and 3' move in the opposite directions, and the pipe isremoved from the installation.

The carriages 3 and 3 return into the initial position, and the cyclerepeats itself.

We claim:

1. A device for applying heat-insulating substances onto pipes, saiddevice comprising; a hollow cylindrical casing adapted for receivinginsulating substance and provided with an outlet for the insulatingsubstance; a hollow auger enclosed in said casing for forcing theinsulating substance from the outlet of the casing; means to advance apipe longitudinally through said casing so that sealing material forcedfrom the outlet of the casing will coat the advancing pipe; a ringelement mounted at the outlet of said casing and attachable to said pipeso as to be progressively displaceable with the pipe and serve to limitthe extrusion of insulating substance from the casing; and means mountedat said outlet of the casing for winding a band of elastic material ontothe surface of the pipe freshly coated with the insulating substance.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said means for winding a bandof elastic material onto the surface of the pipe freshly coated withinsulating substance comprises a rotatably driven gear installed at theoutlet of said casing and at least one spring-biased spool carrying saidband and coupled to said gear to be rotated around said pipe as thelatter longitudinally advances.

3. A device according to claim 1, comprising a cylindrical sleeveintegrally secured to said casing to adjust a gap formed between theouter surface of the pipe being insulated and the inner surface of saidcasing, said gap regulating the thickness of the applied coating.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said means to advance the pipethrough the casing comprises a pair of displaceable carriages onopposite sides of said casing, each carriage including a cantileversupport for insertion into a respective end of the pipe and clampingmeans on said support for clamping such end of the pipe thereto, saidsupports being respectively passable through said casing as the pipe isadvanced.

1. A device for applying heat-insulating substances onto pipes, saiddevice comprising; a hollow cylindrical casing adapted for receivinginsulating substance and provided with an outlet for the insulatingsubstance; a hollow auger enclosed in said casing for forcing theinsulating substance from the outlet of the casing; means to advance apipe longitudinally through said casing so that sealing material forcedfrom the outlet of the casing will coat the advancing pipe; a ringelement mounted at the outlet of said casing and attachable to said pipeso as to be progressively displaceable with the pipe and serve to limitthe extrusion of insulating substance from the casing; and means mountedat said outlet of the casing for winding a band of elastic material ontothe surface of the pipe freshly coated with the insulating substance. 2.A device according to claim 1, wherein said means for winding a band ofelastic material onto the surface of the pipe freshly coated withinsulating substance comprises a rotatably driven gear installed at theoutlet of said casing and at least one spring-biased spool carrying saidband and coupled to said gear to be rotated around said pipe as thelatter longitudinally advances.
 3. A device according to claim 1,comprising a cylindrical sleeve integrally secured to said casing toadjust a gap formed between the outer surface of the pipe beinginsulated and the inner surface of said casing, said gap regulating thethickness of the applied coating.
 4. A device according to claim 1,wherein said means to advance the pipe through the casing comprises apair of displaceable carriages on opposite sides of said casing, eachcarriage including a cantilever support for insertion into a respectiveend of the pipe and clamping means on said support for clamping such endof the pipe thereto, said supports being respectively passable throughsaid casing as the pipe is advanced.